Mastercardbusiness.com allows small businesses to assess specific card services and options from MasterCard member banks, aggregating detailed information and comparing options across multiple issuers.

Based on replies to several queries, such as years in business and the average spend on everyday purchasing and travel and entertainment needs, the site's Card Finder tool will provide customers with access to a customised list of issuers ready to serve this profile and receive online applications. The tool also delivers members qualified lead referrals.

Mastercardbusiness.com also includes recently-completed case histories, white papers and implementation guides to help mid-size and large corporations and public sector organisations identify new applications for improved management and control over expenses.

Other areas of the site include details of MasterCard's Business Bonuses rewards programme; recommendations on how corporations or government agencies may prepare and implement an RFP process to identify an appropriate issuer and service provider; and a special monthly newsletter authored by Jane Applegate, the syndicated small business columnist, to provide comment on new trends and perspectives impacting growing businesses.

Site development was based on extensive research with members, such as Chase and Citibank, and their clients and prospects, says the card organisation.

Dale Booker, business manager for business & professional cards at Citibank, says: "We believe that the resource center will be a key component of our strategy to deliver relevant product information to our small business cardmembers and new prospects."

According to MasterCard research, 88% of small businesses use the Internet primarily to gather information about services for their business.